As part of our Vision 2020 project, the Ida Institute is continuing to discuss what methods the Hearing Care Manager of the Future will need to use in his or her practice. We have now held the second virtual meeting on this work stream.
In the first Hearing Care Manager meeting, participants highlighted the main ideas of “encourage patient centered care,” “offer flexible services,” “improve communication,” and “more research” as key to the longevity of audiology. In this meeting, participants related these ideas back to the different aspects and action points of the clinical journey. They discussed a range of elements spanning from preparing patients for their initial appointments to the maintenance of long-term relationships between the patient and clinician to the impact physical environments such as waiting rooms and diagnostic rooms.
Also discussed was the importance of audiologic rehabilitation (AR), which is often considered to be an add-on as opposed to an integral part of the patient’s journey. To make AR more manageable and patient-centered, The Progressive Audiologic Rehabilitation Management (PARM) was suggested as a way to make AR more manageable and patient-centered. Harvey Abrams introduced this concept in a video selfie prior to the meeting. PARM looks at what settings a patient wishes to improve his or her hearing in, defines what success means for the individual, and recommends a level of AR – as low-level as counseling and PSAPs or as intensive as individual auditory training – for the patient. This course of treatment can be revisited and new recommendations made for the patient as his or her needs and wishes change over time. But in order for PARM to be effective, the needs must first be expressed by the patient.
Vision 2020 aims to collaboratively create a global vision of hearing healthcare in the year 2020. Check back soon for further updates on the Hearing Care Manager of the Future as well as the Tele-health work stream.